Daniel ‘Dan’ McCurdy

Daniel “Dan” McCurdy died Saturday Sept. 8, 2012. He was 64. He passed away peacefully and free of pain at his home in Ridgecrest, surrounded by his family.

His funeral will be held at the H.K. Holland Memorial Chapel, 216 S. Norma St., Ridgecrest, at 11 a.m. on Sept. 14. There will be a viewing the evening before from 5-7 p.m., also at Holland Memorial Chapel.

Dan was born in Lebanon, Ind., on Oct. 30, 1947, to Kenneth and Helen McCurdy. His family moved to Long Beach, Calif. when he was nine years old, and Long Beach was where he went to school and spent the early years of his adulthood. In 1976 Dan moved to Trona, where he met the love of his life and started a family.

Throughout his life he held many jobs that ranged from grocery bagger, meat cutter and retail owner to senior technician at Searles Valley Minerals in Trona. No matter what he was doing, he was always an extremely hard worker and the most professional. He served his country in the Army and was stationed in Alaska.

Dan also served the community he loved as a volunteer in the Trona Fire Department and as a reserve deputy sheriff for the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department. It was this time as a voluteer that gave him the most satisfaction as he always believed in community service and coming to the aid of others.

He was an amazing man who could handle the most stressful situations with a calm, confident approach and his well-known charismatic smile. He was a caring man with a knack for mentoring people in such a way that made them realize that they could be so much more than they were. Dan’s charming character was unmistakeable, and everyone knew when he was in the room. He was an educator, mentor, brother, uncle, papa, husband and an amzing father throughout his time on this Earth. Daniel McCurdy was beloved by many and will be remembered for eternity.

Dan is survived by his wife Peggy; his children Christina and Ben Celaya and Danny and Maria McCurdy II; his grandchildren Ashley and Aj Celaya, Danny McCurdy III and Travis Gilmore; his brothers Maurice, Kenneth, Jefferson and Asa McCurdy; his sister Alma MacLean; his lifelong friend Bill Fortenberry as well as numerous others throughout the McCurdy clan. There was nothing more important to Dan than family and that can be seen by the powerful impact he had on all those he came in contact with.

In lieu of flowers the family would like donations to made toward the building of a Cremation Wall in the new addition of the Trona Cemetery. These donations can be made to the Trona Elks Lodge 1975 in reference to the cremation wall or in honor of Dan McCurdy.